


After the Fall

by thewinchesterlifestyle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, Fallen Castiel, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, domestiel, post season eight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-10
Updated: 2013-06-10
Packaged: 2017-12-14 12:40:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/836973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewinchesterlifestyle/pseuds/thewinchesterlifestyle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The angels had fallen, the gates of Hell were still open and Dean was trying to pick up all the pieces.  Trying to put everything back together and Castiel was just as broken as the rest of them...</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Fall

Sam was sleeping.  Body recovering slowly and Dean had spent what felt like days sitting beside his brother, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest on each breath.  Watched color creep back into his face.  The pained noises fading and replaced by the sounds of sleep.

Slowly he stumbled from the room, heart still pounding and tears threatening to burn the backs of his eyes once more.  Sam’s confession forever branded into his very soul and the pain of those words, of the knowledge his brother had given him a heavy burden.  But his work wasn’t done and now his heart was aching once more.

Briefly he closed his eyes and for that moment he tried to take for himself he was rewarded with the vision of the sky as the angels fell.  As Castiel’s family were thrown from their home, forced to fall and have their grace ripped from them without consent.  Of the rush of emotion he’d felt when he’d seen them falling and thought of Castiel.

A few years ago he’d have felt complete satisfaction that those ‘dicks with wings’ were going to be living in the mud as well.  But it seemed wrong now.  Hell remained open, demons able to come and go as they pleased while Heaven was in shambles.  While the angels were grounded.  Grace ripped from them.  

And Cas…dammit Castiel had his grace stolen from him again.  Castiel was family and Dean had forgiven Sammy before why couldn’t he just have given Cas one second of understanding before everything went to Hell…or Earth.  Dammit.

_Cas’ grace was gone._

His feet carried him down the hall to where he knew Castiel was, draped in a huge blanket.  The fallen angel, when he had been finally found wandering the area near the bunker, had been covered in mud and leaves.  Dean had left him to get clean while he tended to Sam indicating that Castiel could help himself to the clothes in his dresser.

Now Dean stared at Cas, the blank face and lost expression.  He looked completely broken and Dean couldn’t imagine seeing his entire family fall like that.  Didn’t want to.  He had so few left himself.

“Cas?  Hey buddy.” he spoke soft because all that anger from before had been pushed out of him.  In the fear for Sam, the aftermath of his brother’s confession and the horror of seeing Heaven fall.  Now he was raw and so very tired.  Why couldn’t anything go their way?  ”Hey man…anyone home?” it was supposed to be light and fell flat.  He swallowed down his next words.

There was a few beats of silence and then broken blue eyes were locked on his face, “I failed them.” it was rough and pained.  ”Dean it’s my fault.  If I had only listened…” Castiel trailed off, a shaky hand pulling the cover closer, as he shivered.  ”I never should have taken off.  I should have trusted you and not panicked.  I’m so sorry Dean.” the tears came quickly after that, spilling down his cheeks as his chest started to rise and fall rapidly.  Breaths coming fast and pained.  Castiel’s body curled in on himself as he tried to shy away from the pain, failing again.

“Cas…” Dean had to look away because dammit his whole family was broken and how the fuck was he going to fix them?  How was this supposed to be better?  He couldn’t even take care of himself, but Sammy and Cas needed him.  Just like he needed them.

A heart-wrenching sob escaped Castiel’s lips and the fallen angel didn’t seem to notice as they came faster escaping him.  Filling the air.  ”They’re gone.  Everything is gone and I failed.  I’ve failed everyone.” it came out between sobs and heavy breathing, “I never should have been brought back after Lucifer killed me.  I should have stayed dead.  I’m useless.  Broken.  Naomi was right.  Why didn’t she just kill me?”

Then Dean was there, voice rough and features pinched, grabbing Castiel to force his eyes up.  ”No.” it was sharp and cut through the air.  The very thought of his best friend, his family,  _dying again_  cut deeply and Dean didn’t want to dwell on that.  ”Don’t you dare say that you son of a bitch.  You are not broken.  She was not right.  Dammit Cas you were brought back for a reason.  And this is not your fault.  Metatron tricked us all.  He had me fooled Cas.” a breath, “It wasn’t just you.  We all thought he was on our side.” anger laced his voice at the very thought of the betrayal.  The deep, vicious betrayal that was still very new and raw.

But Castiel was shaking his head, gasps still coming and tears blurring his vision.  It was horrible.  He hated these feelings and how being human was shattering what had been left of his walls.  His ability to keep some of his emotions back.  ” _Dean_ -” and Castiel needed something.  The warmth coming from the hunter before him and the attempts at reassurance, at comfort that he knew Dean was not used to giving drew him closer.

And then Castiel was clinging to Dean, face buried in his neck and arms wrapped around him.  Taking comfort, seeking safety and reassurance because Dean was his constant.  Even when the hunter was mad at him or off on his own Castiel always derived some kind of comfort from Dean.  Right now he needed it.  He needed Dean too.

Dean had stiffened at first when he’d been pulled to Castiel, as the man had dragged him forward but he could feel the tears soaking through his shirt.  Could feel the shuddering of Castiel’s body, the rapid movement of his breaths and put his arms around Cas as well.  He had a hard time comforting others, of saying words or talking about feelings.  But this was something he could do.

“I need you.” it was muffled in Dean’s skin, but the hunter heard it.  Felt the emotion and honestly behind it.

They’d figure this out.  He would get Castiel his grace back and he would help the fallen angel’s family because Cas was family. Their little family had been broken for long enough.

Castiel meant something very important to Dean.  Something Dean was starting to work through.


End file.
